Not Me Monday! ?

Yeah. It's late. Late late late. But I'm just getting around to my "not me's" now. That's me. Or maybe today that's not me? :-)

Just like all of my "Not Me's" are a random selection of embarrassing things that I did over the course of several days, perhaps even weeks! All of the things that I don't want to own up to most certainly did NOT happen just today. That would be awful.

This morning I definitely did NOT delay changing a yucky diaper from my 2 year-old because he and the dog were having such a fun time chasing each other. They were definitely chasing each other and Ziggy was not just chasing Joey around with his nose glued to Joey's....ummm..... rear. I sure wouldn't let my dog chase my blissfully unaware toddler around just because he smelled like poo. Come on people. Nasty.

Speaking of nasty, I most certainly did not come back from my run this morning, start stretching, only to have Joey point at my shoe and say "Ewww Mommy, ewww." I wouldn't run until my foot started bleeding and then bled through up into my shoe. Not my perfectly lovely, wonderful, and sporty new shoes! Not through my brand-new-Christmas-present-from-my-sister-in-law nice running socks. Oh no! Not me!

You could not then find my husband laughing at me in the kitchen while I washed off my shoes with a toothbrush and soap trying to get the blood off. "Um, Laurie, shouldn't you be a little concerned about why your FOOT is bleeding?" I care way more about the limited number of digits that the Lord has blessed me with than this fleeting pair of (perfectly lovely wonderful sporty) shoes!

Lastly I did not subsequently shower with both of my socks on and also take a turn at them with my soap and toothbrush routine to get them equally shiny and new. (everything has since been restored to it's new-ish nature, but let's hope I don't step in any *gasp* mud)

And really lastly, I promise. I did not sit down to write this post and hear some noises and look around the room puzzled for a few moments until I realized that my CHILD was in the room in his bouncer. It's not like me to COMPLETELY FORGET where I put him in the house. Honestly, friends marvel over how easy-going these kids are, but you'd really have to be in our house or you just wouldn't make it! Now I just have to go find the other one....

Matthew is Officially a....

BIB-WEARER!! Congratulations if you guessed correctly that our little Matthew's latest milestone is that he is able to regularly wear a bib, everyday now. Most of the time, twice a day! It was a tough accomplishment between all the grabbing at the bib to chew on it, and attempting to fling himself out of the booster seat while learning the fine art of bib-wearing but he has finally mastered the task!

Here is a quick shot before his first bib....

Is that not the cutest boy ever?

Ok, in all seriousness.... Matthew started his solid food on his 6-month birthday, which was last week! I was determined that he wouldn't start before 6 months because I felt like Joey had started too early (during his 4th month). LOL, ah hindsight. Now I think perhaps that Joey was pretty ready, even though he was really young. He already had teeth, he had the whole concept down, and took to the food right away. Matthew is slowly getting the hang of it, but isn't crazy about his rice cereal. When I mix in a little banana or avocado (that's all he's had so far) he is more excited, and he'll eat what I give him but I don't think he'd miss it if it was suddenly gone.

I have started making sure that one of his last solid feedings is the last one before he goes to sleep at night (around 7 or 8), and after about a week of that and waking him again at 10 or 11 to feed him, I decided to wing it and not wake him one night to see what would happen. He didn't get up until 7 in the morning!! The the next morning he still wasn't up when I woke up at 6 so I woke him to feed him, since I was going running with a friend that morning. I'm not quite ready to say he's given up that last feeding because he might still need it but, it's exciting anyway!

So here are a few pictures of the first feeding: enjoy!

A little nervous perhaps...

I don't know about this stuff...

That wasn't so bad! Maybe I'll try some more of this "food" stuff.

A Teaser

I'm looking forward to sharing Matthew's latest milestone with you!! Can you tell what it was?

Works for Me Wednesday: Not Trying Not to Be Someone I'm NOT

I like to run. Now. I do. I like to run inside. On a treadmill, preferably in front of a T.V. with some morning show like Regis and Kelly, or a TBS repeat like Home Improvement or Saved by the Bell. Something that will help me to completely forget that I am exercising! I am starting more to like running with a friend, because I like talking and running. I am also....slowly..... starting to enjoy running outside. It's not very easy for me to like it. I'm working hard on it! I like to have a predictable path, know the terrain, and have it be pretty flat. Sound high maintenance? Well I don't really like to run outside! !

So shortly after Matt and I were married, on a trip back from Chile, we found ourselves both in need of tennis shoes. We headed out, along with Matt's parents to a giant shoe outlet in Asheville in search of some great running shoes that would surely help us to come closer together as a married (and adorably FIT) couple. Matt's parents house backs up to a large National Park and fun hiking and running trails. Matt of course, was looking for a great trail shoe as he loves to run outside. And I, being the new bride, wanted to love to run outside.

We both ended up with trail shoes. :-) I think mine have actually seen trails (for running) maybe 4 or 5 times. But I have faithfully run with them inside (where I actually do alot of running, you know, under the watchful eye of a large television) for 2 years now! After Matthew was born I was intending to try for the 1/2 marathon that Matt did in the beginning of October. Needless to say after a few weeks I realized that was just NOT going to happen. It was just 4 months after he was born! So after Matt finished I was determined to try one for myself. I picked the Kaiser 1/2 Marathon in San Francisco. Do you remember this blog? It's the SAME one I "tried" to register for last year, when I was pregnant (except that was for the 5K part of it), and the registration was "lost" on our front porch. Except this time, I'm going for the 1/2 marathon.

I'm a little nervous.

Ok, I'm a LOT nervous.

I'm hoping to finish it. Finish it running. My goal is to run the whole thing. That's 13 miles people. whew

So a few months ago I picked out a training program online. And I've been working on it ever since! It's been fun. There's about 5 days a week of running at least 3 miles or so and then a long run on the weekend. I've hit some exciting milestones. First time running 4, 5, and 6 miles after Matthew was born. First time running in an actual 10K (Thanksgiving weekend while we visited Matt's brother in L.A.). First time running 7 miles (EVER), and this weekend will be my first time running 8 miles!!

I also hit another exciting milestone! My first real pair of running shoes! (This is where we get into the Works for Me part of the blog. My friend Lexie and I went to See Jane Run. I had my first real running assessment. I found out that I over-pronate (I kinda suspected that) and have been running for a looong time on a shoe that is completely the opposite of what I need. To put some correcting shoes on was amazing! I was so excited to get new shoes. They were definitely a stretch for our budget but we are assuming that they will be cheaper than a rolled/sprained or broken ankle or knee problems!

Matt is such a wonderful husband to me. I love him so much! I want to be everything that he needs in a wife, the perfect helpmate for him. But you know what, chances are, I'm not going to be the best running-mate for him. I just don't love running on trails. The up and the down and the chance of running into bears (really has happened!), and all the trees. I think as more time passes, (for me at least) it gets a little easier for me to accept myself the way I am, and try to be the wife that God had planned for Matt in my heart and attitude, and not so much in less important ways, like my shoes.

And, the great part is, as I train more (averaging over 25 miles a week now!), and train with better shoes, the more I enjoy the running, the easier it gets and the more I, *gasp* like to run outside. I'm so excited about this race in February. I'm a little nervous about running 8 miles this Saturday but excited too. And I am especially excited about my new shoes. They are really nice. They are really comfortable. And if you won't write me off as cheesy, AND you are actually still reading, these new shoes are a little picture of me, getting to know myself better. Getting more comfortable with the person that God made me, and trusting that it is ok to be that person, and not try to be someone else.

So now, without further ado, (because there's been alot of ado!) Here are my new shoes:

I love them.

And me.

Even if I do like to run in front of a big 'ole flatscreen.

Praise You in This Storm

"Praise You In This Storm"

by: Casting Crowns

I was sure by now

God You would have reached down

And wiped our tears away

Stepped in and saved the day

But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls

I barely hear Your whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I remember when

I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to you

And you raised me up again

My strength is almost gone

How can I carry on

If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain

"I'm with you"

And as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise the God who gives

And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

Not Me Monday!

My husband and I did NOT get out of bed at 10:30 this morning. That would just be plain old lazy, regardless of the crazy day we had before. We certainly wouldn't let our children sleep that late, as that would surely affect their napping later on in the day. Because of all of those GREAT reasons, my youngest is most certainly not still asleep an hour later!

I have not completely given up on putting away clean clothes resulting in a clothes back-up similar to a complete closet reorganization in our bedroom. Everyone knows that you wash a load of laundry, dry it, fold it, and put it away in a timely matter, preferably inside of a few hours.

When cleaning and dust busting the other day I did not simultaneously wipe off Joey and let him get down from his highchair and then proceed to dustbust the food off of it. Come ON people, that would be NASTY! blech.

After feeding the baby early this morning I did not go to the trouble of turning our alarm off, going down in the basement, filling up the cat's food dish, and turning the alarm back on, just so he would not wake us up with his persistent meowing before we all wanted to wake up. Obviously I'm just guessing that this might happen, because it's never happened before, because we definitely always give our poor kitty food and never ever leave him to annoy us to death for us to feed him.

Many Mistakes Made Maneuvering Many Marvelous Months of Matthew

So a while ago I was working on a draft of a post about Matthew and I just finished and published it, but it's not at the top of my list.... SAD! it has been relegated back to the date that I started the draft, November 20th, SO.... if you want to read my new post about our little guy....

http://beardsleysinaction.blogspot.com/2009/11/many-marvelous-months-of-matthew.html

And if you'd like to come to my house and give me a blogger tutorial, I will feed you Christmas cookies and seasonally flavored coffee.

Thank you!

Wordless Wednesday

At Least He's Not Texting...

Many mornings I wake up to the sound of phone conversations through Joey's monitor. Here is a quick clip (that I've had for a while and promised to put up a loooong time ago) of Joey talking to his uncle Rob ("Baba"). We had just gotten back from visiting Rob in L.A.



He has frequent phone conversations with Dada, Ziggy, Uncle Rob ("Baba"), and Nonnie and Papa. I think the imitation is hysterical, although I am not entirely sure where he sees it because I am rarely on my phone (anyone that calls me can attest to the fact that I NEVER answer my phone!) and Matt is usually in his studio @ work when he is on the phone. Either way I love to watch him talk on the phone. He is so serious about it and will go on sometimes even when we come in, as if he is in the middle of a real conversation that can't be interrupted!

Many Marvelous Months of Matthew

I have officially been rebuked, begged, cajoled, ordered and pleaded with to write a post about our little Matthew. So of course, I will write at the sensible time of 1 week before he is 6 months old. I guess you have time when you have time right?

The pictures I'm attaching are all old too, but I'll try to download some new ones soon! Here are a few pictures of him enjoying his aunt Jessie and Daddy (as Daddy enjoys his beer).

At almost 6 months our little guy is:

*starting to get a little more average in size. He wears 6-9 or 6-12 mo. sleepers. 3-6 mo pants and 6-9 mo shirts. I think I remember from his 4 month appointment that he was about 69% for weight and 50-something% for height? I remember his head though.... 93%percentile. whew. Big-headed boys!

*rolling over from his stomach to his back but not back to stomach yet.

*working on sitting up. He is constantly trying to escape his swing and bouncy chair lifting up in a sit-up and then falling back crookedly. He seems to really want to get going!

*Sleeping predictably! (while Joey was a great sleeper it wasn't always at set times but Matthew is very predictable. Bed at 8 or so, eat at 10:30 or 11 (I wake him) eat at around 6 a.m. sleep until 10:00 or so. So bed from 8-10 waking to eat twice. I don't mind it. Sometimes if his morning feeding is late enough (after 6:30) I'll go straight to the gym or just get up.

*LOVING his brother. Matthew smiles just hearing the sound of Joey talking from another room. He loves when Joey gets right in his face and does all the baby talking and baby noises.

*a pacifier baby! He likes to have his pacifier and can be kept happy for up to an hour after waking before eating by being held and having a pacifier.

*napping 3 times a day

*a talker and a yeller! Especially in the morning he makes these loud loud yelling sounds kind of a cross between a crow and a laugh...which sometimes make him laugh.

*still swaddled! I'm not really sure what to do about that. He just sleeps so well still. I have to swaddle him in 2 blankets to keep him in but he depends on that pacifier so much (and will sometimes keep it in all night) that if his hands were free to rip it out, I think he'd keep himself awake. I know I have to wean him off the swaddle eventually, but it's not going to be before Christmas! :-)

*Still in our guest room! His crib is ready and waiting in Joey's room, but as long as he has that 6:00 feeding I just don't think I can put them in together. Joey doesn't wake up until 8 or 8:30 and I can't imagine Matthew waking him at 6... he'd NEVER go back to sleep.

*Still just nursing, but looking forward to starting on some rice cereal next week! Also still totally gummy-no sign of teeth yet.

*Almost bald! He has a teeny bit more hair than he did when he was born, but he's pretty much still a baldy.

*The most joyful baby EVER!

Matthew can easily make Matt or I smile in an instant. He is so happy, always so joyful. He smiles at anyone he can see and is so easy-going and sweet. He'll smile when he's starving or when his diaper is dirty. He'll smile and laugh when Matt or Joey or I laugh about something. We don't even have to be looking at him or near him. He truly loves just to be able to see us and hear us and I am constantly encouraged by his joyful spirit!

The rest of these pictures are seriously a few months old...but enjoy and I'll try to put up more soon!

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me Monday!

It's been so long since I've even participated in a Not Me Monday, because I am very nearly perfect, and haven't had anything that I thought worth mentioning :-) and definitely NOT because I always "write" the 'not-me's' in my head and never bother to write them somewhere where I can find them come Monday. 

Because I am nearly perfect, I am definitely not writing this so late Monday evening that no one will even read it until Tuesday.  I am blogging late because I had to put all of my kiddos to bed at small-child-appropriate-times, with a nutritious dinner in their bellies.  It's late enough here that all of my children, of COURSE, are definitely in bed, and none are finishing up said dinner.  no WAY!

If I did have a pokey eater finishing dinner I definitely wouldn't have used a piece of Halloween candy to "help" him get his food down.  Now what kind of lesson would that be teaching, honestly!

Probably the same kind of lesson you'd be teaching if you didn't give him your full attention and instead decided to blog.  Probably.

My 2 year old is in his p.j.s ready for bed and that of course, would be because, being the responsible parent that I am, I have prepared him to sleep and NOT because he wore his pj's all day today.  I would never let my child do that!  *gasp*  If I were going to let him stay in pj's all day, I wouldn't bother taking off the bottoms to put overalls on for a trip to the store and then putting the pajama bottoms back on for naptime.  If I were so LAZY, as to leave him in pajamas then I wouldn't change those old pajamas into new pajamas just before bedtime so he wouldn't have to sleep in the same thing that he wore all day (and slept in the night before).  If that was icky enough to bother me, then I definitely wouldn't let him wear pajamas all day in the first place.  I'm glad we straightened that out!

Since it is 7:55 p.m. here I am NOT drinking caffeinated coffee.  Because that would be RIDICULOUS.  I'm not drinking it because I nagged my husband yesterday to make more coffee and told him that he hadn't made enough and then when he very graciously DID make more today, completely slack off on my end of the drinking.  

Ok, that's about it.  Me and my highly caffeinated self are going to be folding about 13 loads of laundry tonight and then maybe the magic laundry elves will come and put it away for me.  :-)

Here's hoping...

Funny? Perhaps...

Our Beast.  

I've stopped our growth graph (obviously-if you ever looked), but we did weigh Ziggy a few days ago and he was a whopping 75 lbs.  Wow. 

We really love him.  Joey really loves him.  Definitely like a brother though, he asks to say goodnight to Ziggy when it's convenient or will play with him when there are no better options, but mostly tells him "no" and does not want to share his toys with him.  :-) 

Mocha really loves him.  They are definitely still best friends, as strange as that is.  

Ziggy at times though is slightly exasperating.  He is like a vacuum cleaner when we walk him, even if it is after a meal.  He eats ANYTHING in his path, edible or not.  You really can't do anything else when you walk him because you have to watch the ground SO carefully.  We've seen him eat, rocks, paper, napkins, letters, sticks, grass, poop, boxes, any kind of toy, chair and table legs, towels, pillows, potted plants, not potted plants, rugs, cat food, our baby gates, and laundry. 

Today he ate a book of matches on our kitchen table, knocked Matt's coffee all over our ottoman and floor, and ate someone else's letter.  I was sorting through some mail and left a small pile of "Not at this address" on the floor and he ate one.  Silly me for thinking that I could set a non-edible piece of paper on our floor for a few minutes.  I guess "non-edible" is a matter of opinion.  

I don't actually know what the letter was or who it was for anymore.  It was too chewed.  I feel bad, but I can't think of anything I could actually do about it. 

We've upped his food but might have to do it again.  Right now he eats 3 cups of food for breakfast and 2 for dinner and we are thinking that we'll add lunch back in.  At one point we were giving him rawhides (which he can eat like popcorn) to relieve the urge to chew but he could go through like 4 or 5 a day!  Which is bad.  I know that now.  It took a day with so much gas that I almost blogged about it, before I decided that dog-farting us into oblivion was probably not a good blog.  Imagine your worst my friends....

So lots of rawhides=hard to digest=lots of gas

I have more morsels of important life information for you all... keep coming back....

So we got him some BIG BIG chewey, not- edible, not- swallowable, and not- destructible rubber chewing things to rotate.  One of them is a tire.  Seriously.  He seems to be doing well with them but more hungry now.  Maybe he was getting a meal's worth of rawhide and that's the issue.  

Either way, that's our doggie update.  I had to blog/write about it in some way.  Can you call a friend to vent about your dog?  You know when you are out with your little kids and someone looks at you and says something like "Wow, looks like you've got your hands full...." whenever someone says that, a picture of Ziggy flashes into my head.  If they only knew!  Gosh, we love him.  All of us love him.  I LOVE HIM, but BOY is he a handful!

I'm enjoying the smell of a nice candle now.  I think I'll let it burn the rest of the night because I have no more matches, since someone ate them all.  

Photo Dump: Berkeley Kite Festival

I'm so far behind in blogging. Here's a recap of our Mid-September through now:

Joey turns 2, celebrate as family

Joey has birthday party, lotsa food

Matt runs 1/2 marathon, does GREAT!!

All 4 Oakland Beardsleys visit Uncle Rob in L.A. Do not see Brangelina :-(

Come home, Matt works ALOT

Host Baby shower for good friends, Matt finishes summer/fall wedding shooting, yea!!

Matt works more, lots of school, lots of business. Keep same netflix videos for 2 months and have no time to watch them.

Matt's parents come for visit. Eat, Drink, Be Merry, Get Spoiled. :-)

Baptize Matthew at Christ Church. love him!

Matt's parents depart, Matt's sister visits....

Matt's sister leaves to visit brother in L.A.

Go Trick or Treating with friends in Concord. Joey begs, signs "more" and is generally cute and gets ridiculous amount of candy. Mom and Dad select pieces that are no good for toddlers. Interestingly we find that more pieces are appropriate for Mommies and Daddies than Joeys. Mmmm.

(and now we are at today: Matt plays guitar at church, Membership class tonight, Jessie returns to our house tomorrow and 12-week 1/2 marathon schedule starts. GYM.)

There's been more I know, but it would be hard to insert it all. Just next to every line picture: *sweep floor, grocery shop, wash laundry, sweep floor, change diapers, sweep floor, fold laundry, wash diapers, sweep floor, walk giant dog/horse* I'm not even going to act like, clean bathrooms, dust or put away laundry is on that list ;-)

So here's an old photo dump from shortly after Matthew was born. Matt really enjoys kites and kite flying so we headed out to Berkeley for the annual kite flying festival. It was full of pretty cool demos, real competitive teams and gigantic kites. It was VERY windy, which made it seem kind of cold, but all-in-all it was pretty cool!

I wish I had better pictures because there were hundreds of kites, but most of them were pretty high up and like I said, it was REALLY windy.

Dear Dr. Uncle BoBo:

What do hives look like?

love, Joey

P.S.  Hi Baba HI!!!!

Trying...

Goodness....

Matt and I just got back from a long weekend in L.A.  It was great fun visiting with Matt's brother Rob, and Joey loved seeing his uncle!  Since we've been back though, life has been slightly trying.  Last night after having a grown up shower, Joey developed a rash (legs, arms and face) because of the soap.  Mental note, child with sensitive skin cannot use normal soap.... Yesterday our basement also flooded.  No serious problems, it just brings our attention to the fact that since the "rainy season" is beginning, we are going to have to work the pumps and be aware of the problem.  (It's just a crawl space that floods, not the whole basement and certainly not areas where we have things, but it's still an issue and it stresses me out!  I mean, you aren't supposed to have water under your house!!!)

We haven't unpacked, so there is a small mountain of stuff in our entryway.  Honestly, why is it so easy to pack to go places and so terribly hard to unpack.  Likewise for unloading the dishwasher and putting away laundry.  

And we had a miscommunication with the neighbor who was watching Ziggy and Mocha that resulted in Ziggy missing out on a walk on Monday afternoon before we came home (late late late Monday night).  He ended up in his crate for over......nevermind.  It was a really really really long time.  A really long time.  Which for us....ehhhhhh, we love Ziggy but we love Rob more and we appreciate the flexibility in being able to visit.  We simply could NEVER afford to board him so the fact that he missed out on 1 walk is very minor to us and we didn't have any hard feelings, but our neighbor felt TERRIBLE and came over with her MOM today to apologize with some kind of EXPENSIVE pastry from some shop and *sigh*.  I feel awful that she feels so bad.  I mean, it's really REALLY not a big deal.  We love our dog but I like to think that we are realistic about him and he is a DOG.  I just don't want her to feel so bad that she won't watch him again!  It's truly invaluable to us!

Matt's computer had some kind of mutinous rebellion today that involved hours and hours of moving files around resulting in a work day that started about 45 minutes ago (at 6 p.m.) so it looks like after the boys are abed, tonight will be full of album designing for him and unpacking and laundry for me.  

I'm debating giving Joey another bath tonight with just cool water to try and help the rash.  I've had like 5 cups of coffee today to try to get up the motivation to put things away and get back to life, but by golly, I'm just not there yet.  

Thanks!  I just needed to whine about it for a minute.  

My Little Pumpkin

Last week Matt took Joey out for a little photo shoot for one of his classes. Joey had a little picnic:

And then spent some time looking cute with a pumpkin:

Give me happy....

Now pensive....
I need deeper, more thinking...
Now give me pouty....
How about just, cute?

13 Miles....No Problem!

Well, I'm rushing to get this typed before it's time for church here, but I am excited to say that Matt raced in his first 1/2 marathon today!!! He finished strong, happy (a little tired), and 20 MINUTES before his estimated finishing time. (I guess he guessed conservatively :-) but it was his first so.....

There are some articles and pictures here: http://running.competitor.com/category/races although I have yet to find Matt in anything. He ran with a great friend of his from high school, Robert who flew here for a visit, and for the race with his sweet girlfriend, Meredith. Pictures to follow, but feel free to drop by facebook and give Matt your congratulations. He is totally pumped and pretty tired! :-)

We are SO proud of him and are hoping to make the next one a family affair (umm....if it is at least 4 months or more away :-)

Is it Still Today??

Today is one of those days, where you just know, even in the morning hours that it is going to be a trying day.  :-)  

I had a dream last night, about a pot roast I was going to cook for dinner tonight.  I think that has to be a sign that domesticity has beaten me down.  I'm not dreaming about exploring the world, or even having old nightmares about not studying for a test or turning in an assignment, I'm dreaming about cooking pot roasts for dinner.   *sigh*

This morning as I was changing Joey I asked him "what do you want for breakfast?"  he said.  "No." 

 *sigh*

I noticed that my favorite wind chime that I brought home from Chile (it makes the most beautiful sounds outside of my kitchen window) had been blown down when I found Ziggy chewing on pieces of it.  

It's made of glass.  

Glass, people, glass.

*sigh*

When I went down to pick up the pieces of my broken chime *sniffle* I saw Ziggy eat a doggie doodoo that was laying in the yard.  *sigh*  Can a dog be banished outside for grossness?  What do you do then?  Wash out his mouth?  Try to remember not to let him lick you..... EVER AGAIN??  

*sigh*  

I think when everyone takes a nap, I might just go to bed and when I wake up, pretend it's tomorrow...

**Update**  I had Matt read my "funny" post and he said.... "that's kinda sad."  so I thought I should say that it was all in good humor.  I'm pretty sure my windchime is glueable (um, except whatever Ziggy ate).   I am told that in fact I am not making dinner because Matt has promised pizza to visiting friends, Joey enjoyed his breakfast and is playing with his toys, and Ziggy..... well the only thing different about today is that I actually saw him consume the poo.    

:-) 

Smiley McSmileson

Tomorrow we are having a party for Joey's 2nd birthday.  His birthday was the 15th and we celebrated that day as a (small) family, but we are having a larger celebration today for friends and because Uncle Rob could visit from L.A.  We have been having a great time.  We just got back from a great dinner and time checking out a brewery in Mountain View.  It was fun.  And I have SO much to do before the party tomorrow.  So much.  And I really should get on it, but my littlest one is such a joy that I don't think I can bear to part with him now. 

 I know he's tired.

...And I'm tired. 

 It's been a looooong day!  I have food to cook and streamers to hang and a cake to bake but there is this priceless little gummy boy grinning at me like I am the greatest thing in the world, and I honestly can't move from this spot (ok. I can move enough to write this blog but he is grinning at me while I do it!!!).  

I think for now, we're just going to snuggle and then go to sleep.  Because I know in a minute we will be having his 2nd birthday party and I will be struggling to remember what his toothless little smiles looked like.  And right this minute... those smiles are just for me.  

The cake is not made and there's fur on the floor

And come 1 p.m. friends will be at our door

But it's just not enough to put me to sleep

Because I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

New Pictures on FACEBOOK

So I don't have a facebook account. I can't.  I just can't.  I'm way too addicted to blogging, and then checking other people's blogs.

Well, mostly just checking other people's blogs.  Particularly when I should be doing something productive like (helping Matt with business items, putting away laundry, washing diapers, washing dog, washing children, sweeping my kitchen floor, washing myself, sweeping my kitchen floor 15 minutes after the last time I did it, etc...)

So I haven't had chance to download any of my recent pictures yet, but wanted to share some cute pictures of a recent trip to the beach that we took with Joey.  So I'd like you all to "friend" (ohmygosh, is that right?) my husband, Matt Beardsley.  Even you blogstalkers.  Please friend him so that you can look at these pictures.  Plus he'll get lots of invitations and wonder what the heck is going on.  PLUS then I can spy on you when I am poking around on his facebook..... oops.  I mean, then he can see what you and your family are up to!  :-)  

.....because I would never be so ridiculous as to not get my own facebook account, and instead use my husband's to check out people's pages. Def. NOT!!  

Don't worry if you and Matt aren't great friends... He's probably heard me talk about you, and really, Matt is definitely the kind of guy that would be excited anyway, because he's just nice like that. Plus I'll tell him that I told you to.  Go ahead.  Go!!  MATT BEARDSLEY.  Here!  Isn't he handsome?!  :-)

Now you can see our great trip and all the fun we had with Joey at the beach!  

If you're feeling really generous you can follow his photography page, which would be great encouragement for him, and then you can see how talented he is.  

Thanks everyone!

Great Finds!

Our neighbor a few streets over called us on Sunday to tell us that her neighbor was having a yard sale and had tons of little kid things (carseats, strollers, toys, books, etc.).  Even though Joey didn't really need anything we dropped by to say thanks for the heads up, and of COURSE we found a few good deals!  We got the:

Fisher-Price Classical Chorus (which is no longer available): 

There are different settings to the music and Joey can "play" as much as he likes.  It is also great for Matthew and can grow with him!  

We also found a "quarry mine tunnel" for Joey's train tracks:

It's a part of the "Thomas" series, but fits in just fine with our train tracks and since we gave Joey a COOL TRAIN for his birthday, he is having such a fun time putting his new trains down through the tunnel!

Lastly we found a great push car...

This  will be outgrown by Joey after a little while, but we hope that Matthew will enjoy it as much as he does!  

And all of this for only $15!!!  It was also nice to meet a new neighbor (who "has a TON of boy clothes if you want any!")  Hope you can all visit and get a push in Joey's new car and build some train towns with him!  

Photo Dump: Ski Trip!!!

In the spirit of several blogs I follow I am working on "photo-dumping" from some events that I didn't have a chance to blog about. So enjoy some older pictures without too much explanation, while I try to enjoy this Matt-less Saturday :-(

As Matt would say... "Gotta make my paper..."

These pictures are from a great trip with the Beardsley family to Snowmass, Colorado to ski this past February. We had, at various times in the week, Matt's sister, Brother, Sister-in-law, and Mom and Dad, plus, Matt, myself, Joey and BBB#3(Matthew) still baking. It was a great trip and we had a fun time watching Joey enjoy the snow for the first-ish time. Best of all, it was a wonderful time with family!

Thanks for reliving the trip with us!!